Compassion
by Lemubaby
Summary: This tells the story of what went on between Felix and Sheba before the "episode" on Venus Lighthouse, from just before they meet, to Idejima. Contrary to the Laws of Physics, I actually updated! Chapter 8 is up! *faceplam*
1. Chapter 1

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You know what? I'm not in the mood for writing a disclaimer, so sue me.

**Camelot owns Golden Sun. Lucky bastards….**

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"This SUCKS!" Sheba pounded a fist into the mattress, pouring all of her fear and rage and frustration into the punch. She laid back and stared at the ceiling. "I hate this, I hate this, I hate this city, I hate this bed, I hate this room, and I hate… I wanna _kill_ Babi… I wanna go home. I hate Angara."

She heard her stomach growl and was taken by a sharp, painful hunger. In fact, her last meal was a banana, back when she was in her own bedroom. She had skipped lunch _and_ dinner.

There was a knock on her door. "Come in." She responded flatly.

An elderly woman walked in. "I know you must be frightened…"

_Frightened? _Sheba thought. _I'm beyond pissed._

"… but I'm going to try and make your stay here as comfortable as possible…"

_Good luck with that._

"… I am Karen. I am going to be taking care of you while you are here…"

_Great. A nanny. Do they think I'm five years old?_

"… to start, would you like something to eat?"

_Now, you're talking, lady._ "Yes, please."

Karen smiled. "Nice girl. You're name is Sheba, am I correct? Forgive me, for my memory is not what it once was, twenty years ago!" She glanced around her guest's room. "My, what a dull room. I know, I'll bring you some tapestries and a firelight with your food. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Sheba shrugged apathetically. "I guess so…" She just wanted some food.

Karen nodded and left, closing the door behind her.

Sheba tugged at her robe. It was filthy and dingy from the trip from Lalivero to Tolbi. Now, she wished she had bothered to bring a change of clothes… she would have to wear Angaran clothes. She shuddered at the thought. How disloyal to her hometown… And her hair was stringy and full of nasty grease, which was worst than usual, since it was getting near that time of the month, again. _When Karen comes back, I'll have to ask her for a hairbrush._ She tried combing her fingers through her hair, but she couldn't get halfway down before her fingers became tangled in the mess. _Gross. I should have pinned it back in the desert. I can actually feel grains of sand in my hair._

She lay back down and turned onto her side, staring at the blank, white wall. Where was Karen with that food? Sheba was starting to feel like her stomach was going to cave in if she didn't get anything to eat, soon. She turned her attention toward a small window that was adjacent to the wall with her door. It was a tiny window with a view toward the east. Sheba peered out it, and could see the Karagol in the distance. This land was so… alien.

A harsh thought came to her. _They probably aren't going to free me until that frigging Lighthouse is finished. I might be here for over a year! _In a moment of absurdness, she pondered about what it would take to escape this place and go back to Lalivero. She laughed out loud at the thought. _Heh. Maybe it'll be like jailbreak._

There was another knock on the door. "Yeah?" Sheba called, though she knew who it probably was.

Karen answered back "Dear, could you open your door for me? My hands are quite full, I'm afraid I can't grab the doorknob." Sheba opened the door wide to let the old woman in. Her arms were filled with bread, a bowl of soup, a torch lamp, and some curtains for her window. "I know this isn't much, but this is all that I can carry up those stairs."

"Oh no, this is actually much more than I expected. That was really nice of you." Sheba was genuinely surprised by the hot meal and pretty silk tapestries. _Maybe when I go home, I can bring some stuff home with me._ She had been told by Faran that Tolbi was a very wealthy city with lots of territories, but wealth was something that she found hard to imagine. _How could one land grow so rich while it's neighbors barely grow enough food to feed themselves? _Was Tolbi really that greedy?

* * *

"Okay, my turn. I spy with my little eye…" Jenna scanned the entire area. "Something… brownishgray."

Felix stated the most obvious answer. "A rock."

"No. Be more creative."

"All right then, is it Kraden's robe?"

"Oh, come on. You suck at this game."

Felix rolled his eyes. "We've been playing I Spy for a whole hour. How about playing Mum, instead?"

Jenna pointed up toward the treetops. "I spied a raccoon up in the branches."

"What? You expect me to be able to pick out a raccoon in the tree?"

"Will you two shut up for five frigging minutes?" Menardi shouted over her shoulder. "You're not making this any easier on yourselves! Now, the sooner you two stop playing games back there, the sooner we get out of this goddamn forest!"

Felix groaned. "For once, agreed." Mogall Forest was starting to creep him out a little bit. "Hey, where are we going anyway?"

"Gondowan." Saturos replied bluntly.

"What for? All that's down there is desert and jungle."

"And Venus Lighthouse," Menardi snapped at him. She sounded much more irritable than usual. "Forget about what our ultimate goal is?"

"And something else…" Saturos said, much calmer than Menardi. "I've heard rumors of some…_thing_ conveniently near Venus Lighthouse that sounds…interesting. Perhaps even…useful to us."

Felix wanted to ask what is was, but he knew better than to push these two with a million questions all the time. And he knew Alex wouldn't step in to call a halt if Saturos and Menardi were to suddenly decide to beat him up. He just shrugged and followed along; pausing to quickly glance over his shoulder to make sure they weren't leaving Kraden in the dust. But Jenna and Kraden were keeping pace just fine. Felix still faltered. What was this strange feeling telling him that Saturos and Menardi weren't telling him something?

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**Well, there's chapter one for ya. Some feedback would be excellent. Tell me what you liked and didn't like. Remember: no reviews, no next chapter! Meeheehee. XD**


	2. Chapter 2

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I have nothing to say. Just read the chapter.

**I wish I owned Golden Sun. (I don't)**

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Hours became days which became weeks which became a whole month

Hours became days, which became weeks, which became a whole month.

A whole month stranded in Tolbi.

Sheba had to admit, Tolbi wasn't bad at all. But some crazy event everyone was calling Colosso was approaching, and the activity level was increasing with each passing day. More and more people were coming into Tolbi, and Sheba was getting more and more stressed from the constant activity.

Karen was shaking the dust off a carpet out the window. "The building process is slow, dear. It always has been. I hear that they have just finished the base of the lighthouse in Lalivero." There was obvious sympathy in Karen's voice. "But Tolbi and Lalivero have seen to that you may go back your family after all the hustle and bustle of Colosso is over."

Sheba's heart lifted. "I can go home after the festival?"

Karen nodded. "Yes, dear. But only for a day. It's only a visit, you know."

Sheba sat back down on the bed. "Oh." Seeing Faran again sounded wonderful, but she only had one day to visit. And it took so long to go from Lalivero to Tolbi, she would probably only get one or two hours to see her family. "I guess that's nice…"

Karen smiled warmly. "I bet you're looking forward to seeing them again, dear. But now the hour is growing late. You should be asleep by now, child." Karen put the torch lamp next to the bed. Put the light out before you fall asleep, now. We wouldn't want a fire, would we?" Karen left, leaving Sheba on her own.

Sheba sat down on the floor next to the torch lamp. Her fists were clenched tight in frustration. _What's the point of keeping me here?_ She cried in her head. _Lalivero is frightened enough of Tolbi. They'll built the damn lighthouse whether I'm being held hostage or not._ She could only assume why she had to remain captive of Tolbi. _They're trying to prove themselves. They want Lalivero to know that they aren't afraid to do something immoral. _Every night, she wondered what would happen if Lalivero refused to work. _Would Babi have me dead as an ultimatum? They might harm me even if they aren't satisfied by the work Lalivero is doing. Just to scare them._ Then, she realized why she was in Tolbi. _I'm a tool._

Something snapped her out of her thoughts. It was an acrid smell coming from the torch lamp. Sheba glanced down, already painfully aware of the cause of the smell. She had let her hair dangle into the torch's flame. She gasped and jumped away from the lamp, but the bottom two inches of her hair was gone, and the embers were still slowly crawling upwards, eating away at her hair and leaving that wretched smell. Sheba grabbed the burning strands in a fist, smothering the embers, and then inspected the damage. She was going to have to even out all the split ends now.

She glanced around the room and her gaze fell upon a knife used for cutting fruit on her nightstand. That would have to do. First, she wiped the knife clean with the inside of her simple nightgown, and then she sliced off the already burned ends of her hair. She steadily worked her way from her left side to her right, being cautious not to make the cut ends jagged. When she finished, she stroked the underside, testing to see if she cut if even. _Eeh. The right side is longer then the left, now. _She trimmed a little more off the right side. _Still too long. _She cut off another eighth of an inch from the right side, and then realized that her head had been tilted. Now her right side was clearly shorter than her left.

Frustration took over. In a moment of blind and pointless rage, and bad judgment, Sheba swiped the knife all the way across, just below her shoulders. Her hair that once hung down to her waist fell to the ground as useless scrap, the remainder just barely resting upon her shoulders.

After a few seconds, she realized what she had done. _I…I look like a boy… _She dropped the knife and crawled onto the bed, stunned. _I haven't cut my hair since I was little… what if my family doesn't like it? What if they don't even recognize me? _Numbly, she stumbled into the hallway, looking for Karen. She didn't know if the old lady could help her, but she needed somebody to fix her hair. She didn't want to look like a boy; she was supposed to be divine!

Karen looked up from her book and saw Sheba leaning on the wall in her doorway, looking seconds away from tears. She was about to ask her what the matter was, but a second glance confirmed that her hair was more than a foot shorter than the last time she had seen her. "Oh, dear." Was all she could say.

Sheba suddenly began pouring her heart out to the old woman, much to fast for Karen to understand. Karen hushed her and sat her down at the foot of the bed and began to trim off the split and uneven ends, trying to calm Sheba's anxiety over a rather petty situation. Karen thought she actually looked very nice with short hair. It made her hair look much more thick and full. "There. All finished. That doesn't look so bad now, does it?"

There was a mirror in the room, and Karen guided Sheba in front of it. Sheba had her eyes closed, afraid to look. "Go on." Karen urged her. "Look. It's not bad at all."

Sheba opened her eyes and jumped backward with a gasp, nearly knocking poor Karen over. Her hair hung just long enough to tickle the sides of her neck. The strands in the front were longer than the rest, and the tips curled slightly inward. She stared at the mirror in shock for a few moments, and then burst out laughing with sheer excitement. She actually liked it! She ran her fingers through it, amazed by how much thicker it felt, now. It would be so easy to brush, too.

Karen smiled. "I told you it looked nice. Would you like me to trim your bangs to get them out of your face?"

Sheba shook her head. "No… no, it looks just fine. I like it the way it is. I actually like it!" Her laughter began anew. "Now I can't wait to show everyone at home tomorrow!"

Karen was immensely pleased with herself. "Well, if you're so excited to show them, then you ought to go to bed and sleep. Otherwise you'll be dog tired tomorrow."

Sheba was about to go back to her room when she saw some people in the house she had never seen before. Three boys and a girl with seriously outlandish clothing. They looked only slightly older than her. Of course, they were probably here to see Colosso, but were they traveling alone? The blond boy with the blue clothes and a yellow scarf, who was the obvious leader, looked right at her. Sheba gave him a nasty look and retreated to her room. She didn't like the curious look on his face. What was he looking for in here?

* * *

Isaac and Garet glanced at one another. "What was her problem?" Isaac asked. "She glared at me like I was some kind of pervert or something."

* * *

Felix felt like a camel in Tundaria while he was in the crowd in Tolbi. He never liked social events, and he never liked crowds. "Do we _have_ to stay here tonight?" He complained.

"Hey, I don't like this either. It's barbaric." Menardi said. "That's why we're out of here as soon as the sun rises." She was massaging her temples, an obvious sign that she was uncomfortable. And when she was suffering, she made _everyone _suffer with her.

Saturos said something about an inn to her. Or, at least _tried _to.

Menardi blew up in his face. "OF COURSE I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE, YOU DOUCHE! NOW GET YOUR HEAD TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN FIND A PLACE THAT DOESN'T ALREADY HAVE 80 FRIGGING PEOPLE IN IT!"

Saturos recoiled a little bit, and moved away from her. "Fine. We'll loiter around an open area until the crowd goes down before we find a place to stay." He was tense, expecting Menardi to attack him again. She didn't. She just huffed and went along with him.

Felix elbowed Jenna. "We're not gonna have to cross the desert, are we?"

Jenna shrugged. "If you don't know, then what makes you think that I would know? Saturos only talks to you. Sometimes."

Felix groaned. "I guess we are crossing Suhalla desert tomorrow. I just hope it's uneventful…"

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**It won't be uneventful, Felix... (meeheehee) As you can tell from Sol's Prophecy, I enjoy putting these poor Adepts through more and more danger...**


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter finally introduces some action sequences!**

**Felix: "What are you writing?"**

**Me: "A fanfic, dill hole. What are you listening to?"**

**Felix: "Fat-Bottomed Girls."**

**Me: "Queen? Hey, that's Jenna's i-Pod. Give it." (Grabs I-pod.) "No music for you!"**

* * *

The desert spirits were a curious type of fauna. They weren't quite reptiles, yet they weren't quite anything else either. They were warm blooded; yet sunbathed to store energy, yet bore live young. And probably the strangest characteristic of these massive carnivores was that they were all capable of controlling the powerful desert winds to their fancy. Normally, they were gentle giants.

That was then. Now, the imbalance in the elements caused by Mt. Aleph's eruption drove the animals mad. Ever since that day, sandstorms had lashed Suhalla desert, born of the desert spirit's pointless rage.

…As Sheba had found was an unbearable annoyance when it came to crossing deserts. It wasn't anywhere near this bad when she had gone from Lalivero to Tolbi. She had a cloth wrapped around her head to protect her face from the corrosive blast of sand. Her legs, however, were at the mercy of the painful abrasives.

There were eight Tolbi soldiers accompanying her on the trip. They were the best that Tolbi could summon after some had taken crippling blows during the Colosso fights. They were even more poorly equipped for the desert, and they were stumbling and tripping over from the winds lashing them about. Their lack of Wind Psynergy put them at the mercy of the violent gales, while Sheba had the balance of a cat.

Then, unexpectedly, the great winds weakened. It was as if the desert had blown at them with all of its might, then paused to take another deep breath.

"Something isn't right," Sheba warned her escorts. "The air doesn't feel right."

Not even a second after she said that, 800 pounds of screaming therapsid dropped down on them from a nearby ledge. One soldier was immediately dead; he was crushed under the brute's broad, clawed feet. The creature screamed pure fury at the soldiers, opening a wide, thin frill around its neck and rattled it, flashing the bright eyespots that decorated its skin. Blades of wind hacked at the remaining soldiers, who tumbled backward, protected from the sharp shock waves by their armor.

Sheba knew what this beast was. It was a Tornado Lizard, a former desert spirit gone mad. She resisted the urge to scream. No matter what, she could not attract the lizard's attention. If the soldiers, Sol have mercy on them, could keep the beast distracted, she might be able to get back to Suhalla to find help. But which way was the way out of Suhalla Desert? She didn't even know which way was north. She just picked a direction and went that way, slowly, pressing her back against the wall of the ledge as to not catch the Tornado Lizard's notice.

She did attract unwanted attention, however. But not that of the lizard's.

* * *

She had caught Saturos's attention.

He was a distance away from the commotion, and decided to pause an watch when he heard the screams of the lizard and the panicked men. The young girl traveling with them had a bit more common sense. She was using the opportunity to sneak away and save her own skin.

He watched on as the girl finally turned a corner and was out of sight of the attacking brute. She was now face-to-face with the lizard's companion. _Silly girl._ Saturos thought to himself. _You forgot these beasts travel in pairs. _

"Hey, are we just going to stand here and not do anything for her?"

Saturos jumped and spun around. Felix was standing behind him, also watching the ordeal, but with much more concern written across his face. Saturos shook his head. "Just watch and see what happens. The girl just may surprise you."

She _did _surprise them.

* * *

Sheba stared at the lizard in shock, not moving an inch as the creature hissed and approached her. But she wasn't going to roll over for this big ugly brute. Not with out a fight. She groped at the ledge without taking her eyes off her adversary, until her fingers wrapped around a decent sized rock. Then, she chucked the rock at the Tornado Lizard with all her might. It hit the lizard on the side of the face, and it recoiled a bit.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Sheba screamed at the surprised Tornado Lizard. "I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU!" _I'm only bluffing. _She thought. _Please fall for it. Please, please fall for it._

The lizard backed up a few steps, then feigned an attack to the right, lashing its tail at her from her left. But a sudden wind gust knocked it off balance. It collapsed, stirring a large amount of fine sand into the air.

Cloaked by the dust cloud, Sheba bravely scrambled over the lizard's tail to put more distance between her and her adversary. _Geez, I hope that wind burst did the trick. There's no way I have the strength to do that a second time._ As she backed away from the confused and thrashing lizard, she passed the wall of rocks that had been separating her from her escorts and their lizard foe. It wasn't until now that she noticed that the screams of those men had fallen silent…

"LOOK OUT! TO YOUR RIGHT!"

Sheba didn't have time to wonder who just shouted that. The second lizard screamed and leapt at her.

Not many people know this, but when exposed to mortal danger, the human mind will increase the speed in which it takes in information, making time seem to slow down. But the only thing going through Sheba's mind as she saw the brute lunge at her was _Oh, motherf-_

The Tornado Lizard didn't hit her. Instead, a flurry of icicles _(in a desert?)_ flew at the lizard, piercing its neck and chest. The beast screeched, which faded to a pitiful wheeze, then collapsed in a heap. It kicked, and then was still.

* * *

"What was _that_ for?" Saturos scolded Felix for shouting a warning at the girl. "You had no right to interfere with her!"

Felix raised an eyebrow. "No business in saving her life?"

As they argued though, someone else was assessing the situation. The sound of a familiar Psynergy cut the argument off. Saturos and Felix watched as Alex effortlessly slaughtered the attacking lizard.

Saturos glared at Felix. "Well, now it looks like we have no choice but to interfere."

* * *

**Funny story about this chapter. It was originally much longer, but then I had realized that the chapter was at least twice as long as the previous two, so I split the chapter into two.**

**I feel tempted to start doing that annoying "UNTIL NEXT TIME" crap I used to do in Sol's Prophecy, but I don't think I'm gonna. (Listening to Jenna's i-Pod)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Me: "I am now finding out how difficult it is to type with one hand."**

**Isaac: "Well, maybe if you stopped poking me in the shoulder, you would be able to use your other hand to type!"**

**Me: "Not until you give me your fries."**

**Isaac: "Sure, for five dollars."**

**Me: "What?! It's from the dollar menu! I'm not paying five bucks for 25 cents worth of French fries!"**

**Isaac: "Well, I guess you're not hungry."**

**Me: "Bitch."**

* * *

Alex had seen the girl cast Psynergy. Wind Psynergy. There was no mistaking it. _Eventually, we will have to light Jupiter Lighthouse…_ he thought to himself. _And we are going to need a Wind Adept… how fortunate._ Somehow, he was going to have to coax her into coming with them. A forceful kidnapping might come to haunt the group later…

He approached the stunned girl and reached out to her. "Are you lost?" He asked her, trying not to sound intimidating.

The girl stared him down. Judging him. Then, responded. "No shit, Sherlock."

Alex was thrown for a loop. The girl obviously didn't think too highly of him so far, and had a rather…_enriching_…vocabulary for a child. He quickly tried another card. "My name is Alex. Who are you?"

The girl moved closer to him. He could sense weak Psynergy coming off her. _Ah, she's trying to read my mind. Impressive and…potentially very useful to me._ "Now, now," he reprimanded her. "Reading my mind? Do you not trust me?"

She gasped and staggered back in surprise. "Y- you could tell I was-" She took a deep breath. "So, you're similar to me in a way." Alex nodded, and the girl sighed again. "Okay. My name is Sheba."

"ALEX, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Alex flinched. "Not Menardi. Not now…" he muttered under his breath.

Sheba figured out this new person was not going to make her feel any better… and then there were two more of them, another girl and an old man, following the furious woman like beaten dogs with no choice but to obey their master.

"Hey, how many people are you with?" Sheba asked, but Alex wasn't paying attention to her anymore. He was trying to calm the one he called Menardi. _That's a name you don't hear every day. _Sheba thought._ Wonder where she came from? She's got markings on her skin like a gecko. _

Menardi got right up into Alex's face and bore down on him. "Who is this? Are you having trouble with staying on task, here? In case you need reminding, we're not here to save lost little girls, we're supposed to be going on to Venus Li-" She stopped suddenly. "Where are Saturos and Felix?"

"Right here…" Said a new voice, from behind Sheba. Sheba spun around and saw two more outlandish-looking travelers, one of them with skin markings just like the crazy woman, the other one was more human in appearance, standing behind the blue dude and trying not to draw attention to himself.

Alex cleared his throat and tried to get things back under his control. "You know I would never go out of my way for something unless it was beneficial to our common goal, here."

Sheba didn't know what he meant. _Common goal…? Where is he taking this?_

"And I wouldn't interfere with somebody unless that person were to be important. Like, this _Wind Adept_ here."

Sheba stepped up to him. "Now I know you didn't just save me out of the goodness of your heart. What do you want from me?" So far, she didn't feel like she had a reason to fear Alex. He was just annoying. Boy, was her opinion about to change.

Alex looked at her with nothing but seriousness in his face. "You're one of us, now. Unless you want to be left here to fend off the next monster that tries to kill you, you'd best be coming with us. We… need you."

Sheba stared at him for a moment of disbelief. _Geez. From one kidnapper, right into the hands of a new one. What is it with my luck lately? _She didn't agree to his terms. "Get away from me. I can take care of myself." She said, not showing an inch of fear to him. She turned and began to walk away.

The blue gecko-skinned one grabbed her wrist as she passed him. His grip was like a steel bear trap. "You don't know who you're talking to in that tone of voice." His grip tightened. Now, Sheba felt like something was burning her wrist. _Wait. Something IS burning me!_ She yelped and strained against the man's hold.

"Saturos, try to restrain yourself." Alex said to him, but the angered man was deaf to him.

The quiet one stepped in, suddenly. He grabbed Saturos's arm and tried to pry his grip away from Sheba's wrist. He wasn't quite succeeding in doing so. Saturos turned on him like a cobra and struck him a blow that knocked him backwards into the sand.

The younger girl that hadn't said anything yet ran to him. "Felix? What did you do that for? Are you all right?"

Alex came between Saturos and Sheba. Saturos immediately let go of her wrist and for a brief, heart-stopping moment, the two formidable Adepts stared each other down, until Saturos quietly retreated without a word, only giving Alex a vicious look.

Sheba stared at the seething burn on her wrist, unable to even touch it because it hurt so badly. The quiet boy, they called him Felix, he had a burn mark above his right eye, where he had been stricken. _All of these travelers must have powers like mine. Alex was using water, that mean one is fire._ Her curiosity was aroused, and for a second, she considered the thought of joining them willingly, just to see how they got powers like hers. But she much preferred the thought of seeing her family again.

"Will you let me go, now?" She asked Alex, since he was the one with obvious authority.

Alex shrugged. "Fine, then. Go."

Sheba just stood there. "You mean, on my own? No way! I need you guys to help me!"

Alex shook his head. "You have two choices. Come with us and stay with us, or leave us be and find your own way home."

Sheba couldn't say anything. Her frustration was peaking. She just stared at Alex, unable to believe what an asshole he was being. Just a polite, considerate asshole.

Alex took her silence as her answer. "Very well, then." He called to his companions and they began to leave. Just leaving Sheba standing there, helpless. Once or twice, she saw Felix glance over his shoulder at her, as if begging her to reconsider. Then, she heard the unconscious Tornado Lizard begin to stir. She looked at the dangerous lizard, then back at the group that wants to hold her hostage, then at the Tornado Lizard again. She had to make up her mind.

She turned to the Tornado Lizard, stuck her tongue out at the creature, and ran to catch up with the group.

* * *

**Before any of you start correcting me, I KNOW there is no Sherlock Holmes books in Weyard, but I thought the "No shit, Sherlock" quote was too funny to pass up. Did that totally on purpose.**

**(Stares at empty cardboard bucket that used to have fries in it.) Whoop-de-doo.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Jenna: "You had better give me a bigger role in this chapter."**

**Me: "Don't worry! I will! I will!" (Terrified)**

* * *

The group stopped and waited patiently for Sheba to catch up with them. She was panting hard from running in the hot desert by the time she had caught up with them. "Okay, you guys win." She said between pants. "So, where to?"

"First things first." Alex said. "Introduce yourself to the others."

Sheba straightened herself. "All right, then. I'm Sheba…" She pointed to the two gecko-skinned ones and Felix. "I already know you three…" She then pointed at the redhead and the old man. " and I don't know you two."

The girl began to say something, but Alex did the introducing for them. "Those two are Jenna and Kraden. They're in a situation… similar to yours. Oh, and Jenna is Felix's sister, just thought you ought to know."

Sheba immediately sympathized with the rather disgruntled-looking girl. _Looks like Alex annoys everyone, not just me. _She noticed how Jenna, Felix and Kraden stuck together as if they were terrified of the other three Adepts. _Maybe I ought to try befriending these guys first. They look like they'll understand. _She tried to make contact, starting with Felix. "Well, um, thank you for trying to save me back there, from the crazy guy."

Jenna snorted a laugh when she said "crazy guy".

Felix stepped back and fiddled with his ponytail. "You shouldn't be thanking me. I barely did anything. Alex saved you." It occurred to Sheba that he was shy. _Cute._

"You better get used to him acting like this." Jenna told her. "He's a wuss."

Sheba laughed. "Well, I think he's cute."

Jenna raised an eyebrow. "I question your taste in men. But whatever. If you want him, be my guest."

"I like his tight butt."

"Okay, shut up." The two of them burst out laughing, startling Felix and Kraden.

Kraden chuckled at the sight of the two instant friends. "I must say, it didn't take very long for those two to become close."

Felix sneezed. "Hm. Someone must be talking about me."

* * *

"She had better not slow us down." Menardi said, glaring at Sheba. Sheba didn't notice at all, but every now and then looked all around her, as if sensitive to the negative remarks being thrown at her.

Alex was calm as always and that just irked the two Proxians further. "She's a Wind Adept, remember," he said. "She's built for speed. She won't slow us down."

"How do _you _know this?" Saturos growled, still angry with Alex from the standoff between them earlier. "It's her endurance I'm concerned about. She'll probably die before we even get to Jupiter Lighthouse. What good will she be, then?"

Alex returned Saturos's glare. "Then I expect you to go easy on her. We might not find another Wind Adept after her."

"What about Skippy? The little boy tagging along behind Isaac?" Menardi asked. "He's a Wind Adept."

"We'll never be able to convert him onto our side." Alex said, with a bit of disappointment in his voice. "Not as long as Isaac is there."

Saturos suddenly smiled, which sent shivers down Alex's spine. He was creepy when he smiled. "What if by some chance… Isaac is killed?"

Menardi laughed. "Ooh, I like the sound of _that_!" Her fingers caressed the hilt of her scythe, already excited by the promise of blood. Particularly Isaac's.

Alex quickly brought the two back to reality. "I highly recommend that we do not talk on this subject in the presence of _her_." He pointed in Jenna's direction. "His sweetheart."

* * *

Jenna sneezed. "Felix, am I catching a cold from you?"

Felix shrugged. "I don't know of any desert colds. Maybe someone was talking about you."

"I'm not superstitious like you, Felix. I just don't want to get sick. I'm worn out enough from walking from one continent to another!"

Sheba's curiosity perked. "Where did you come from?"

Kraden answered her, though Sheba wasn't sure why Felix and Jenna rolled their eyes. "Do you know of Mt Aleph?"

"Yeah, heard of it in fairy tales. What, is it actually real?"

"It is, in fact. The three of us here come from a town within the foothills of Mt Aleph. It's where they get their Psynergy. In fact, I'm the only one here who isn't an Adept…"

Sheba was shocked at Felix and Jenna. "Wait, you two are Adepts, too?! How come you didn't tell me?"

"You didn't ask." Felix replied. "I'm an Earth Adept and Jenna is fire."

"Wow. Three Fire Adepts and one of everything else." Sheba laughed. "Hey, doesn't fire trump earth? No wonder you're so sheepish, Felix."

Felix jerked. "I am NOT sheepish! Where did you get that idea? Jenna?"

Jenna elbowed Sheba." Don't tell him his annoying qualities. He doesn't like it."

Sheba smiled. "I find it so funny that we're holding such a nice conversation while I'm being held hostage."

Felix nodded. "Happy to do my part." Jenna poked him in the ribs, and he squawked like a bird. "W-what was _that_ for?"

"I just wanted to show Sheba the funny noise you make whenever somebody pokes you in the ribs."

Sheba laughed even harder. "You know what? I think I really like you guys."

* * *

**Felix: "You made an idiot of me in this chapter!"**

**Me: "You **_**are**_** an idiot."**


	6. Chapter 6

**Piers: "You're still working on the same story?"**

**Me: "What are you doing downstairs dressed like that? Go put some pants on!"**

**Piers: "You like it."**

* * *

"Is that thing above the tree line Venus Lighthouse?" Felix asked, pointing to the top of a very tall building in the distance.

"I believe so." Alex answered. "Quite impressive, even from back here."

"I don't know about that, you guys." Sheba said, shrugging. "When you live right next to something all your life, no matter how impressive it is, you kinda get used to it being there."

"Do you know how to get inside of it?" Saturos asked her, but Sheba shook her head.

"No idea. The entrance has been sealed for centuries."

Saturos turned toward Felix. "Have you got any Psynergy left?"

"Yeah, a little, I think…"

"Then save it." Saturos said. "We're going to need it to get in."

"Makes sense…" Kraden said. By now, Sheba had realized how much of a chatterbox Kraden was. "Venus is the element of earth, so I would imagine Venus Lighthouse being earth-based. So we'll need an Earth Adept to get the entrance open… Saturos is right, Felix. Try not to use any Psynergy until we reach the lighthouse."

Menardi rolled her eyes. "We figured that out fine without the commentary."

The walk was relatively quiet from then on. Every now and then, Jenna would whisper something funny, Sheba would giggle, and the others would turn around and look at the two of them skeptically.

Then, there was a stranger on the path. A man about Kraden's age, with equipment that undeniably said this man was a traveling scholar. Then there were two more colleagues. All three of them were staring open-mouthed at the traveling group.

"Shall we?" Menardi asked, her Psynergy building up. She glanced sideways at Alex, waiting for a command.

Alex looked at the speechless scholars. "Are you studying Venus Lighthouse?" He asked them.

The scholars paused, exchanged glances, and then nodded. "Are you here to provide assistance?" They asked back.

Alex stepped to the side, away from Saturos and Menardi, then gave a slight nod. "Don't kill them. Just incapacitate them."

"_What!?_" Felix cried. "You're going to-"

Flames erupted from the two Proxians, flying toward the band of scholars faster than the old men could react. Felix, Sheba, Jenna and Kraden watched in horror as the fires engulfed the defenseless scholars and then sank to the ground, where the injured men were collapsed.

Alex calmly strode over to the crumpled men to make sure they were breathing. He nodded again. "They're no threat to us, now. Let's move on. They'll be fine by tomorrow."

This did _not_ console Felix. "What were they doing to us to deserve that? They were only studying! I'm sure if we asked them to leave, they would've!"

Alex shook his head. "You're wrong. If they were to see us open Venus Lighthouse, they would be in an uproar. And the last thing we want is somebody reporting this to Lalivero. And if we had asked them to leave, and they asked us for a reason, we would have no truly believable excuse and would have to take them down, anyway. Just forget this happened. The men will survive."

Sheba could sense Felix trying to contain his anger. It made her a little edgy standing next to him. She reached over to him and put her hand on his shoulder, but not to comfort him. She was reading his mind.

"'_Nobody would be hurt' they said!_ _No one else will be involved! They gave me their word, and then they went back on it, first with Sheba, and now this! So why do I still trust these people? How far are they going to push me? … is she reading my mind? I feel like someone's listening to me…"_

Sheba pulled her hand away from his shoulder, and just looked at him for a moment. The two of them locked eyes, and for a moment, Sheba became tense, like she was expecting Felix to take his pent-up anger out on her.

Instead, Felix began to laugh. "Hey now, my thoughts are all confidential information. If there's something I want you to know, I'll tell you, okay?"

Sheba smiled, but didn't say anything because she had nothing to say. She just kept walking after the rest of the group, which had gotten quite ahead of the two Adepts. As Sheba walked past the felled scholars, the men's eyes grew wide with shock. _Are they surprised to see me here?_ She thought. _I hope Lalivero isn't looking for me. Things might get ugly if they see me like this._

And there, loomed Venus Lighthouse, all 150 feet of it. It almost looked gloomy, scraping against the gray, cloudy sky. Of course, the beacon was unlit. For some reason, looking at the lighthouse made Sheba sad, like the lighthouse _wanted_ to be lit. It had once been a mighty structure that probably supported a mighty civilization. Now, vines were creeping up the huge lighthouse and the stones were starting to crack from neglect.

"Well," Menardi sighed. "Are we just going to stare at this thing?" She gave Felix a shove toward the lighthouse. "Go on, open it."

Felix looked flustered. "How am I supposed to know how to open this?"

"Get creative!"

Felix stared at the entrance sealed in stone. _Maybe I can bust the stone with a Psynergy spell. It's worth a shot._ He focused his mind and called upon what little reserves of Psynergy he had left. He casted Spire. Rocks crumbled upon the stone door.

Nothing happened. Felix could hear Jenna and Sheba snickering at him. _Is this stupid door just mocking me, or what?_ He pounded the stone with his fist, which hurt his hand, and he let out a yelp. Jenna and Sheba laughed harder.

But the stone door was to have the last laugh. As Felix turned around to complain at Alex, the door gave a loud creak, and began to slowly open. Felix saw the door open as he glanced over his shoulder, and then looked back at the group with a sheepish grin.

By this time, Jenna and Sheba were in tears from laughing so hard. Even Menardi couldn't help but smile.

"The door probably reacted to Felix's touch." Kraden mused. "It could just sense that he was an Earth Adept."

Saturos glared at the lighthouse as if it were an adversary. "I don't care _how_ it opened, it's open, so let's go." He approached the lighthouse without doubt or hesitation.

"…You're welcome…" Felix muttered under his breath. Within a blink of an eye, Saturos had him by the collar, and had slammed him against the wall.

"Do you think you're funny?" Saturos snarled into his face. Felix glanced downward and didn't move. Like an alpha wolf, Saturos saw Felix's submission immediately. He released him, and Felix slid to the floor.

Watching the ordeal left Sheba quite uneasy. Saturos was ruthless. _Alex didn't step in to stop the fight this time…_ She thought. A quick glance at Alex showed that he probably showed little interest in the matter. Jenna and Kraden were still standing in place, trying to avoid drawing the Fire Adept's attention to themselves. Felix had yet to rise. _Felix…_ Sheba held out her hand to him, but he pushed it away and stood up on his own.

"Save your pity. I can manage." He moved to catch up with the group, not bothering to wait for Sheba. But after a few steps, he stumbled.

Sheba was persistent. She leaned against the fatigued Earth Adept, helping to support his weight. _Wow. He's really not that heavy at all. _She thought. Felix looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but kept his mouth shut and accepted her help.

"What is it with men and their pride?" Sheba asked. "Never want to ask for help, never ask for directions, and never admit you're wrong…"

Felix sighed. "You wouldn't understand. When you're around Adepts who are obviously much, much stronger than you, it's best to know your place."

"So you're saying that you're my _superior_?" Sheba asked with an edge to her voice.

Their conversation suddenly took a sharp turn. Felix tripped again, and this time, his foot slipped off a ledge. Sheba found herself being dragged down with him, and the two landed in a clumsy mess. Sheba glanced up over her shoulder, and saw Alex staring down at them, shaking his head in disapproval. It dawned on her that she and Felix had landed in a… somewhat inappropriate position. Sheba let out a startled shout and moved away from Felix quickly.

Felix was too busy looking at something to even notice. "Look at where we landed. What is this room?" There was a huge statue of an ancient-looking woman at the head of the room, and there were clear, crystalline spots scattered across the floor. There was also a small replica of the lighthouse. But the thing Felix was most concerned about was a path that led to another room. "I think we're supposed to be over there…" There was a gap between where they were and the curious room. There was no way they could jump it.

"Uh-oh…" Sheba could hear Kraden say from the top of the ledge. "I don't think we can get into Venus Lighthouse from here."

"What do you mean?" Jenna asked, confused by the old scholar's talk. "We _are_ in Venus Lighthouse!"

"What he means is that we can't reach the aerie from here." Saturos corrected her. He glared at Sheba. "Is there perhaps another entrance to the lighthouse that you never told us about?"

The last thing Sheba wanted was to get Saturos angry again, but she couldn't think straight under pressure. "Um… maybe." Saturos's violent glare increased her motivation. "Wait, wait! There's a ruin past Lalivero! I don't know if it connects to Venus Lighthouse, but… maybe."

Felix touched her shoulder. "You know, we're going to have to go through Lalivero now. I don't think this is going to end well, with you being held hostage in front of everyone."

Sheba hadn't thought of that before she spoke. But Saturos had made up his mind. "You two get back up here." He said with sudden …enthusiasm? "We're taking a little detour."

* * *

**Me: "What's wrong with you? You look like you're seen a ghost."**

**Felix "…"**

**Sheba: "He got traumatized by the ending of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Don't mind him."**

**Me: "TOTALLY understand."**


	7. Chapter 7

**Me: "Okay, I really need to stop procrastinating and write this freaking chapter."**

**Sheba: "Amen, sister."**

* * *

Lalivero never expected such an event as what happened next. It had been a calm, uneventful morning. The small handfuls of goats were relatively quiet. The crocodiles were sunbathing lazily on the riverbank, occasionally pestered by bored children throwing stones. The only things in the sky were distant thunderclouds, and a circling falcon. The people were expecting that Sheba would visit her home today.

They were partially right. Sheba _did_ show up, but not in the manner Lalivero had expected.

Saturos and Menardi were thirsty for some violence after a long, boring trip. Sheba sensed the instability in the two Proxians. "Um..." She started, trying to think of how to say her piece without angering the violent Adepts. "You don't plan on… hurting anybody in Lalivero, are you?"

"That all depends on how the people react to us…or you." Menardi said.

Sheba relaxed. She knew that the people of Lalivero were most likely to skitter away and hide in the event of an attack. There shouldn't be any bloodshed. She noticed that the ground beneath her feet felt harder and dryer than usual. _It look like it hasn't rained since I left… _What made it even more odd was that it was supposed to be the rainy season.

"Hey, there are a few buildings up ahead." Felix pointed ahead, toward some houses of mud and clay in the distance. "That isn't part of Lalivero, is it?"

"That _is_ Lalivero. You were expecting a grand palace of some sort?" Sheba scoffed, almost as if she were embarrassed for her hometown.

Lalivero was almost entirely made of clay mud bricks, which were weathered and worn down from the constant blast of sand. There were some chickens and goats wandering about, but there were no people to be seen. They must've all been indoors. _Good…_ Sheba thought. _Maybe we can just sneak through… maybe no one will notice…_

They didn't quite luck out. A dog started to bark as they entered through the gateway, and as the owner went to shut the mongrel up, he noticed the eccentric travelers. And he noticed Sheba.

_Oh gods…_Sheba thought, a clod lump rising in her throat. _Of all people, why Faran? Why did he have to be the first to notice?_

But Faran did not look upset at all. He thought the others were just her escorts. His eyes lit up. "Sheba… oh, thank the mighty gods you're safe. You…cut your hair?" But as he walked towards her, he found his path blocked by her outlandish-looking escorts.

"Don't hurt him!" Sheba cried at the strange, angry-looking soldiers. "Just… leave him be! He won't…_can't_ do anything!" Faran looked back and forth between his daughter and the two blocking his way, confused and quickly growing alarmed. By this time, there was quite an audience in Lalivero, watching the ordeal going on in the center of the town.

"Scare them a little." Alex muttered to the two anxious Proxians. "Just a little showing off will do the trick." He glanced at Sheba. "No bloodshed. Will that satisfy you?"

But before Sheba could even open her mouth to answer, Saturos and Menardi had already taken great delight in casting a massive plume of fire into the air, sending embers raining down on the terrified townspeople. Within moments, the streets were empty.

Except for Faran. He stood, paralyzed in one place, still staring upward at where the flames were shot. Then, shaking his head out of his daze, he boldly took a step toward Saturos and Menardi. "What are you demons?" He demanded. "Why are you here, why do you have Sheba with you, and what do you want from her?"

Alex responded as calmly as possible. "We are merely… borrowing her for the time being. No hard feelings, now. I do not intend to hurt you, but by no means should you force me to."

Faran looked uneasy. He stood his ground, but sweat was clearly beading on his forehead. "You do not understand how sacred this child is. Ever since she left for Tolbi, there has not been a single drop of rain. The gods are angry. They have brought a drought upon us. Please… do not anger them further… let her go…"

Sheba opened her mouth to speak, but got a sharp swat on the shoulder from Menardi. Alex put himself between them. "Let her speak." He told Menardi. "She may be the only one to end this peacefully."

Sheba couldn't look Faran in the eyes. "Please, just… don't argue with them. Let them take me. I'll be alright."

"What makes you so sure they won't hurt you?" Faran asked Sheba, though it seemed the question was aimed at Alex, threateningly.

Now, Sheba looked up, and gathered the strength to actually smile. "You know. Am I ever wrong about these kinds of things?" When Faran didn't answer her, "I… will come home. Eventually."

Saturos stepped in. "You've said your piece." He grumbled. "Let's move on."

Sheba obeyed without a word, turning away from the man who had raised her since she was only a baby, not once pausing to look back. Every inch of her being was telling her "_move forward, move forward…_" To the ruins, to Venus Lighthouse, and then to wherever else she had to go.

But some people, unlike Faran, were not going to let her be taken quite so easily. Some workmen who were constructing Babi's Lighthouse stepped in front of the group, armed with whatever heavy object they could find laying around. Even Saturos's piercing glare did not move them.

"You are not leaving this town with Sheba!" One of the men shouted. "If you try to leave, we will fight you!" He then brought his arm back to throw the rock he was holding.

In one fluid movement, Saturos caught Sheba around the neck and drew his sword, touching the tip of the blade to the base of her throat. "You weren't going to throw that rock at me now are you, boy?" He said in a taunting voice.

As if expecting a reaction, Alex held his arm out in front of Felix, thinking he would do something reckless over the hostage situation. But Felix didn't even seem upset. "You don't need to restrain me." He whispered. "I know Saturos isn't dumb enough to hurt Sheba if we need her for later." But then, Felix thought about something that hadn't crossed his mind before. _If it's Jupiter Lighthouse we need her for, then what will happen once the beacon is fired and Saturos and Menardi don't need her anymore? Will we bring her back home, or are they just going to discard her like an injured horse?_

Sheba wasn't worried for her own life at the moment, either. She knew Saturos was only bluffing, but she was worried for the foolish men who were standing up to the agitated Fire Adept. _Did they not just witness that big, showy display these guys put on earlier? Why aren't they afraid?_ Thinking that it would help discourage the workmen, Sheba closed her eyes and forced up crocodile tears, trying to look genuinely frightened.

It didn't work. In fact, she got the opposite result. One of the men shouted angrily and ran at Saturos, swinging a plank of wood as a weapon. Sheba couldn't even shut her eyes in time before angry orange flames engulfed the hapless men. She tried to ignore their screams, but the sound rang through her head with a sinister echo. Thankfully, it wasn't long before the remaining men were scurrying away with their tails between their legs. The ones who hadn't… they looked dead.

Saturos, with his typical cold indifference, shoved Sheba towards Felix. "You take her." He said, as he walked on towards the ruins.

For a brief moment, Sheba and Felix just stood there as if stunned. Felix could feel her trembling, though he did not know if it was out of fear, sadness or rage. _I would think by now she would be traumatized…_ He thought. _After all that's happened to her in only one day… this girl is tough._

Now, they were well past the town, and by now there were no workmen standing in their way. Now, Sheba could finally see the lighthouse that Babi was ordering be built. From the looks of it, she figured if she had still been a hostage of Tolbi, she would have been there for more than a year. It wasn't like she would prefer being held hostage by Saturos and Menardi, but at least she could relax in Tolbi.

"Hey. Where are these ruins supposed to be?" Menardi asked, seeing only a partially built tower.

"They're under the lighthouse…" Sheba said, with a cautious tone. Saturos and Menardi looked blankly at her. _Geez, these guys are dense._ "The lighthouse is being built on top of the ruins." She said again, this time her voice was a little more…flat.

"Their heads aren't quite as bright as their Psynergy..." Felix muttered, when Saturos and Menardi were out of earshot. Sheba and Jenna fought to keep from laughing out loud. Kraden just rolled his eyes.

"I find it funny," Sheba said, "that I am even able to laugh at a time like this."

"So, you're not scared at all?" Felix asked, raising an eyebrow.

"N- no. I'm not scared." Sheba's face lit up in a moment of epiphany. "I'm… excited. I actually want to see what Venus Lighthouse looks like from the inside! When will I ever get another chance to see it?"

"Trust me, you'll see much more than just this Lighthouse." Kraden told her. "We're traveling across the whole _world_, to all four Lighthouses."

Sheba's eyes lit up for a moment, and the next moment she was dragging Felix by the sleeve, towards the Lighthouse, unable to restrain herself any longer.

"Geez, you're worse than Jenna!" Felix said, before receiving a cuff on the head by a rather disgruntled Jenna.

And left behind to contemplate, was Alex. _The girl really does have some real spunk in her. It's a good thing. She'll be a fighter… in time._ He chuckled softly at his own thoughts. _Perhaps, one day, even I_ _must watch my back in her presence…either way, I'm glad that I found her in that desert. It looks like this will not only benefit me, but the girl as well, rather than letting her rot in this poor little town. _

The rest of the group was far ahead of him, now. "Well then," He said to no one in particular. "I ought to catch up with the others." But then, he paused to look over his shoulder, gazing into the distance. "By now, I'm sure our pursuers can't be far behind…"

* * *

**Me: "I FINALLY FREEKIN' UPDATED!!!" *dances***

**Sheba: "…never do that dance ever again."**

**Me: "What's wrong with it?"**

**Sheba: "I will never look at the Hare Hare Yukai the same. Ever again."**

**Me: "Come on. It wasn't THAT traumatizing!"**

**Jenna: (bleeding from her eyes) "Yes, it was."**


	8. Chapter 8

**Me: "Well, here's chapter eight by popular demand."**

**Felix: "Don't compliment yourself."**

**Me: (punches Felix in the shoulder)(Hard)**

**Felix: "OW! Dammit, what is with you??"**

**Me: "I'm gonna need you to come up off that bitchass-ness."**

**Felix: "…Meg, you're as white as a ghost. Stop acting black."**

**Me: "DON'T SAY MY REAL NAME ONLINE, YOU DORK!!!"**

* * *

Ignore that disclaimer.

"Oh mighty gods…" Sheba whispered in awe. "The Lighthouse looks big enough from the outside, but inside, it's something else!"

"What kind of people do you think built this place?" Kraden asked.

Jenna answered sarcastically. "Oh, I dunno, _Adepts_, maybe?"

But it was logical. There was no way in heaven or hell anyone but Adepts could have possibly created the complex structures and puzzled that filled the Lighthouse. In fact, most of the puzzles they had come across required the power of Venus to get through… _Poor Felix… _Sheba thought. _He must be exhausted by now…_

Not to mention that some kind of ferocious, hideous monster was attacking about every five minutes. Thankfully, Saturos and Menardi usually made short work of them.

"You know what's sort of odd?" Jenna whispered to Sheba, glancing around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "Usually, Felix never acts like he has been lately. You know, mouthing off and acting like a dork?"

"I don't know, what is he usually like?" Sheba asked.

"Well…" Jenna searched for the right word. "Stoic. Yeah, and pretty quiet, too. He had always obeyed Saturos and Menardi, probably because they saved him from drowning three years ago. He has a strong sense of honor, you know?"

"Well, when did he start acting… different?" Sheba asked, taking interest in the situation.

Jenna paused to think. "Actually…" She said, trailing off for a moment. "Right after we met _you_."

There was an awkward silence between the two girls for a moment, before Sheba leaned closer and whispered harshly, "Do you think it has to do with _me_?"

"Hey, are you two done talking about me?" Felix suddenly interrupted.

Jenna and Sheba looked at him shocked, and noticed that everyone else has stopped and were staring. "Um, is something wrong?" Jenna asked, feeling slightly alarmed.

Felix gestured toward a stairwell, where one could see light coming down from above. "We're at the aerie."

Jenna shrugged. "Oh. Cool." She began to walked toward the stairwell, but Menardi grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her back. "_You're _not coming with us." She said. "You'll just get in the way."

Saturos pointed to Felix. "You lead the old man and your sister out of here, and I trust you all to not get killed doing so. And as for…" He trailed off and was quiet for a moment. "Where is Alex?" Nobody had even noticed his absence until now. Frustrated and angered, Saturos shook his head. "Unreliable little rat…" He muttered.

"Forget about him, Saturos." Menardi said, shaking her head. "He's obviously not going to help us." She turned to face Felix. "I want you to go down to Idejima. That's where the ship is docked. You are going to wait there for us, and don't even _try_ anything funny. Got it?" Felix nodded, but said nothing.

"Um…" Sheba spoke up cautiously, "What about me?"

"Come with us." Saturos growled. "We're going to show you why we brought you here."

Sheba didn't really know what he was talking about, but she knew better than to defy him. "O- okay…" She nodded, approaching the two Fire Adepts.

Something struck Felix wrong about the subject, but he fought to keep his mouth shut. He had received enough beatings from Saturos for one day. The two Proxians vanished into the stairwell, taking Sheba with them. For a moment or two, Felix just stood there, staring at the stairwell as if his brain had clicked off. _Wait… why did they take her to the aerie with them?_

He was brought back by a hand waving in front of his face. "Hello? Earth to Felix, are you lost in space?" Jenna gave an exasperated sigh. "What is with you? Did the desert make you lose your mind back there, or what?"

_Oh. Right. I'm supposed to be leading them out of the Lighthouse._ Kraden started to say something, but Felix wasn't listening. He sighed, shaking his head. _Nothing's wrong. Get a hold of yourself, Felix. Nothing's going to happen to her._ His mind began to wander again.

This time, Jenna clapped her hands right in front of Felix's face, creating a tiny burst of flame. Felix stumbled back a few steps, momentarily stunned by the flash. "FELIX! Get a grip already!" Jenna shouted, getting near the end of her rope.

Felix looked down, and a shadow fell over his face. "I have to go to the aerie." He said blatantly.

There was a brief silence. "_WHAT?_" Jenna cried, unable to grasp what was wrong with her brother. "And what are _we_ supposed to do?" She asked gesturing towards Kraden and herself. "Just… find our own way out?"

Felix pointed toward the doorway that they had previously come through. "It's only a short trip from here to the Lighthouse's entrance. You can handle it. Besides…" he trailed off, glancing at the stairwell that led to the aerie. "Hopefully I shouldn't be gone long. We'll catch up with you guys."

"Wait a minute…" Kraden asked. "What do you mean by 'we'?"

"I'm bringing Sheba back with me." Felix said, just as he went to the stairwell. "Trust me, I won't be far behind. Now, go." With that, he left before Jenna could have the last word, leaving Kraden and Jenna there to wonder what was going on.

* * *

Sheba never liked heights.

She didn't exactly enjoy being around Saturos and Menardi, either.

Not happy.

The two Proxians, however, were high on themselves with pride. "At long last, the time has come to light Venus Lighthouse's beacon…" Menardi said, with a slight croon to her voice.

Saturos nodded. "With the second beacon lit, only two will remain." He said, pitching in his two cents.

Menardi paused for a moment in thought. "No…" She said, correcting him. "Lighting Jupiter is virtually the same as lighting Mars."

"That is true. Jupiter is _really_ all that remains." Saturos said.

Sheba really had no idea what they were talking about, so she just kept her mouth shut and observed. But to her surprise, a familiar voice came from behind her.

"That's right. Your dreams are within your grasp now." It was Felix, standing at the bottom of the steps leading to the aerie. His voice had a cynical edge to it. As he ascended the steps, his eyes were locked on Saturos and Menardi, and the look on his face made the hairs on the back of Sheba's neck stand on end.

Saturos's frustration was rising. "Why are you still here, Felix?" He demanded.

Menardi put her hand on her hip and glared. "I _thought _I ordered you on ahead to the ship."

Felix gestured toward the south. "I've already sent Jenna and the others to the dock at Idejima."

"Then why did you come back?" Saturos asked, in a manner as if Felix was just stupid.

"Because…" Felix started, but then trailed off. He took a few steps forward and placed himself between Sheba and the two Proxians. "I have a different promise to keep."

_What is he doing?_ Sheba thought, as she started to get seriously worried. Right now, Felix was just begging for a serious beating.

Menardi raised an eyebrow, skeptically. "A promise, you say?" She sneered. "You must mean Sheba…"

"Yes, Sheba. Why haven't you released her yet?" Felix's voice was growing harsher. Menardi tried to say something, but Felix continued: "You promised to set her free once you got into Venus Lighthouse."

Sheba was surprised. She didn't remember Saturos or Menardi saying anything about setting her free. Was this something only Felix knew about?

"…And that's what brought you back here?" Menardi asked, sounding rather fed up.

"You promised not to involve anyone who wasn't related to this matter." Felix said.

"Sheba is special." Saturos said flatly.

Felix shrugged. "Of course." He said. "Because Sheba is a special Adept? You two learned something from the first two lighthouses." Now, Felix almost seemed to be laughing at them.

_They're saying that __I'm__ an Adept?_ Sheba thought. _I'm just like them… yet apparently… I'm a little different…_

Insulted, Menardi asked "And what would that be?"

"In order to enter each lighthouse, you need an Adept of that clan." Felix said. "Right now, we have Fire, Earth and Water Adepts…" He turned and glanced at Sheba. "But no Wind Adept."

Saturos considered his point. "That does seem to be the case…"

Then, Felix cut right to the important point. "Do we _need_ Sheba to get into Jupiter Lighthouse?"

Menardi shook her head. "I'm sorry, Felix, but we can't even enter without a Wind Adept."

Felix relaxed a little bit. "That being the case, I guess I can understand why you can't set Sheba free."

_Geez, Felix, who's side are you on?_ Sheba thought, bewildered by his sudden change in attitude.

Saturos rolled his eyes. "It seems that you, too, have learned something. If that is all, then you should go, Felix!" His patience was obviously waning.

However, Felix held his ground firmly. "No. I cannot leave Sheba behind! I'm taking her to the ship!"

Sheba did a double take. _…huh?_

Menardi seemed just as confused. "What are you talking about, Felix?"

"We don't know what will happen when you light this beacon." He said, pointing to the massive pit in the center of the aerie. "I won't leave Sheba here to find out!"

Saturos slowly approached Felix. "We told you that we'd protect Sheba. Don't you trust us?" Tension was escalating between the three Adepts.

Felix took a step back, shaking his head. "That's not what I'm saying… It's just best to be safe."

Sensing his submissiveness, Menardi stormed up to him. "Don't tell _us_ what's best, Felix. You're _not_ taking Sheba."

Felix's eyes were wide with alarm, now. "Why not? What, you don't trust me?"

Saturos and Menardi were both facing Felix, standing on either side of him. Their weapons were drawn. "How can we, after you just demanded we free Sheba?" Saturos snarled.

"If we had trusted you a moment ago, Sheba would be free now." Menardi said. The two Proxians looked deadly serious, now.

Oddly, Sheba suddenly remembered the brief standoff between Alex and Saturos back in Suhalla Desert. She remembered the chill that went down her spine when she was caught between the two powerful and hostile Adepts. Now, that feeling of dread returned to her, and a cold lump rose in her throat. Sheba could almost feel the anger emanating from all three Adepts.

Felix drew a small, thin blade and backed up slowly, never taking his eyes off his enemies, working his way toward Sheba. "Come with me, Sheba!" He whispered harshly. "I'll protect you." He felt Sheba clinging to his cape, and he squeezed her hand to reassure her.

Saturos laughed at them, resting his sword over his shoulder. "Are you ready to do this, even though it means fighting us?"

"I believe he is!" Menardi said with sarcastic enthusiasm. "He would not have defied us if he lacked the will to fight."

Still, Felix stood his ground. "If it means protecting Sheba from harm, then I must."

Although Sheba didn't sense any shift in tension, Felix must have given some kind of cue because, without warning, Saturos charged forward. Immediately, Felix pushed Sheba out of the way and darted to the side, leading Saturos away from Sheba. However, the battle-hardened Proxian had much quicker reflexes than Felix, and caught the hapless Earth Adept in the side with the flat side of his sword. Felix was knocked over by the blow, and Saturos seemed to take pleasure in stomping on his chest. "You have seen what we can do." The Fire Adept hissed at him. "You know you can't stop us." With that, Saturos lifted his foot and allowed Felix to regain his footing.

But the moment Felix got to his feet, he took a scalding blast from Menardi's Psynergy. He staggered from the powerful blast, unable to stop himself from crying out in pain. "How can you protect Sheba, when you can't even protect yourself?" Menardi demanded. Trying to make Felix even angrier, she grabbed Sheba by the back of her shirt, holding her scythe close to the terrified Wind Adept's throat.

Felix blindly fell for the ploy. His Psynergy flared up, and he ran headlong at Menardi, forgetting to acknowledge the fact that Saturos was still behind him. Another fiery blast, this time from below, knocked Felix to the ground.

Saturos relished in Felix's helplessness, but as the singed and battered Earth Adept struggled to his feet again, Saturos had to admit that Felix sure was stubborn. "This rebellious attitude is exactly why we've never let you fight."

Felix gave him the middle finger.

In the blink of an eye, Saturos grabbed Felix by the collar, lifted him, and threw him to the side. Felix skidded across the stone floor of the aerie. Yet still, he managed to rise to his feet once more.

Menardi calmly approached Felix and touched the tip of her scythe to the side of Felix's throat, where she could see his neck vein pulsing. "Haven't you been given enough reason to fear us on these travels?" She asked in a harsh voice.

Felix flared up with Psynergy, but said nothing.

"You're no fighter, Felix." Saturos said, rather amazed that the fool still wanted to fight. "How can you hope to stand against us?"

Still, Felix said nothing. He stood, staring at Menardi, as if he wanted to know why she hadn't killed him yet.

Menardi raised an eyebrow. "Hm." She took her scythe away from his neck and stepped back, standing before Felix. "You've questioned us for the last time!" She yelled at him. "Let's see what you can do!" She took a defensive position and waited for Felix to make a move.

Felix was… smiling? He shook his head, chuckling softly. "I'd hate to have to be the one to give you the news but…" His gaze went toward the other side of the aerie. "It looks like we've got company."

This standoff was far from over…

* * *

**Love you too, reviewers. ^^**


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